Slate Culture Feed

This week Steve and Dana are joined by co-host Laura Miller, books and culture columnist for Slate. First, the three of them talk to Slate's own Matthew Dessem about what's real and what's made up in the new David Fincher movie, Mank. Then Julia Turner joins the show for a discussion about Spotify's end-of-year "wrapped" feature. For the third segment, Laura talks about the best books of 2020. In...

51 years after they went to prom together, a couple reconnects and falls in love during the pandemic. But despite being 15 minutes apart, they're waiting to see each other in person. Thanks to our friends at NPR's It's Been A Minute With Sam Sanders for collaborating with us on this week's episode. Check out their episode , about being stuck together during the pandemic, by finding them wherever y...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the latest humiliation of the winless New York Jets. They also discuss the Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade, and Russell Dinkins joins for a conversation about his quest to save college track programs. Jets (03:55):  Are they trying to lose on purpose? Should Trevor Lawrence stay away? Westbrook and Wall (23:57):  The thin line between NBA s...

During a time when a lot of us are feeling isolated, we revisit your stories about living alone—with all its perks and drawbacks.  Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . And support our work at  deathsexmoney.org/donate . And stay in touch with us! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to da...

This week Steve and Dana are joined by writer, poet, and co-host of the Thirst Aid Kit podcast, Nichole Perkins. First, the they weigh in on Happiest Season , the new holiday rom-com starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis. Then they chat with Culture Gabfest producer Cameron Drews about why he loves the HBO show How To with John Wilson . And finally, the hosts a talk about a big mistake made...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin talk about the Broncos playing without a quarterback and other NFL COVID chaos. They also discuss the life and death of soccer legend Diego Maradona. Finally, they assess the debut of kicker Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game. NFL (02:03):  Should the Broncos have been forced to play? Will the NFL make it to the playoffs? M...

Hit Parade is back for non-Slate Plus listeners! Upcoming episodes will be split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and bonus deep dive into our subjects. slate.com/hitparadeplus . Hit Parade continues the story of Garth Brooks. In the ’90s, he was country-authentic, ignored pop radio, and...

The choreographer talks about losing income during the pandemic, the precarity of the performing arts field in general, and how getting sober helped him get out of debt. Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . And support our work at  deathsexmoney.org/donate . And stay in touch with us! Sign up for our...

On this week’s episode, Steve and Dana kick off the show by talking about season 4 of The Crown with June Thomas, Slate's managing producer and co-host of the Working podcast. Then they're joined by Asha Saluja, operations manager for Slate Podcasts, to discuss one of the internet's latest creations: a TikTok musical based on the Pixar movie Ratatouille. For their third segment, Slate senior edito...

Joel Anderson and Josh Levin are joined by Yahoo’s Seerat Sohi to talk about the latest NBA deals. Jessica Luther then joins Joel, Josh, and Stefan Fatsis to discuss LSU’s mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations. Finally, Grant Wahl comes on to talk about American Prodigy, his new podcast on soccer phenom Freddy Adu. NBA (03:17):  What moves will make the biggest impact on the coming season?...

In 1983, the Cabbage Patch Kids were released, causing widespread pandemonium in toy stores and in the media. How did a children'a toy inspire such bad adult behavior? On this episode of Decoder Ring we explore the strange world of the Cabbage Patch Kids to figure out why they hit it so big. The answer involves butt tattoos, slightly grotesque faces, industrial innovations, an origin story in a ca...

A former police officer talks about shooting someone, and how it led him to study why and how often police killings happen. Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . And support our work at  deathsexmoney.org/donate . And stay in touch with us! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you up to date abou...

On this week’s episode, Steve and Dana talk to Slate’s television critic Willa Paskin about the unprecedented current season of The Bachelorette .   Then Slate's Brow Beat editor, Matthew Dessem, comes on board for the rest of the show to talk about Saturday Night Live and two recent articles about societal collapse, one titled The Next Decade Could Be Even Worse and one titled How Do You Know Whe...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin are joined by FanGraphs’ Meg Rowley to discuss the Marlins’ hiring of Kim Ng as baseball’s first woman general manager. They also talk about the putrid NFC East and why the sports world has failed to adjust as the COVID crisis worsens. Kim Ng ( 02:54 ):  Why did it take so long for her—or any woman—to get a job running a major-league team? NFC East ( 21...

Hit Parade is back for non-Slate Plus listeners! Upcoming episodes will be split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and bonus deep dive into our subjects. slate.com/hitparadeplus . Today your Hit Parade marches to the week ending October 27th, 1990, when “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Br...

We remember Sissy Goodwin, the Wyoming man who believed in and fought for gender independence. Sign up for our newsletter at  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter , and every Wednesday we'll send you podcast listening recommendations, listener letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  dea...

On this week’s episode, Steve, Dana, and Julia talk with New York Times book critic Dwight Garner about his book  Garner’s Quotations: A Modern Miscellany .  Next, they are joined by Slate’s television critic Willa Paskin to discuss  The Queen’s Gambit.  Finally, the panel imagines how the Trump administration will be remembered in American Studies classes years from now.  In Slate Plus, the hosts...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the differences between election TV and sports TV, and whether election forecasters should be criticized. They also compare how a great sports victory compares to a political one. And they discuss Notre Dame’s win over Clemson and the field-storming that followed. Election TV (4:12):  Can cable news learn something from how sports are covered? S...

On this week’s episode, Steve and Dana are joined by guest host Isaac Butler , writer and co-host of Slate’s Working podcast. First, the group talks about What the Constitution Means to Me , the Broadway play now streaming on Amazon. Next, they talk about the legacy of Sean Connery, who passed away last week. Finally, they discuss the new Netflix documentary series Song Exploder , based on the pod...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the positive COVID tests for the Dodgers’ Justin Turner and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. WNBA player Renee Montgomery then joins to talk about the More Than a Vote campaign. Finally, they revisit Ruth Shalit Barrett’s article about rich parents and niche sports, which the Atlantic has now retracted.  Positive COVID tests (03:17):  Why are outbreak...

Hit Parade is back for non-Slate Plus listeners! Upcoming episodes will be split into two parts, released two weeks apart. For the full episode right now, sign up for Slate Plus and you'll also get The Bridge, our Trivia show and bonus deep dive into our subjects. slate.com/hitparadeplus . In part 2 of our episode on Meatloaf maestro Jim Steinman: Chris Molanphy continues the story of how Steinman...

Producer Afi Yellow-Duke hears from listeners from immigrant families about how they're talking with their relatives about identity, race, racism, and politics in an unprecedented year. Follow our show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . And support our work at  deathsexmoney.org/donate . And stay in touch with us!...

This week on the Culture Gabfest, Stephen Metcalf and Dana Stevens are joined by guest host Jody Rosen, a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine. First, they discuss Borat 2 (officially, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm ). Next, they dive into music with “The Harry Smith B-Sides.” Finally, they discuss Zoom’s newfound, and sometimes dangerous, place in our culture. On this week’s Slate Plus...

How did Hanoi Jane become Exercise Jane? This is the second part of our two-parter on Jane Fonda's Workout. If you haven't yet, listen to the previous episode "Jane and Leni" first, it will give you the full context for this episode. This time around we explore how an academy award winning actor and controversial political activist managed to transform herself into a category defining fitness icon...

Joel Anderson, Stefan Fatsis, and Josh Levin discuss the likely and unlikely heroes of the 2020 World Series. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf also comes on to talk about how the pandemic is affecting college sports “have nots” like UC Riverside. Finally, the hosts are joined by … a mystery guest! World Series (02:02):  Where did Brett Phillips come from? And how did Clayton Kershaw transform his postseason l...